From Workers to Owners: Survey Evidence on the Impact of Property Rights Reforms on Small Farmers in Two Regions in Romania

In Romania, the 1991 Land Reform marked the beginning of a series of transformations in the ownership structure and the production system in agriculture. Nevertheless, after recently joining the EU it became evident that the agricultural sector is in need of major improvements in performance. We present preliminary findings from a unique village-level panel data at household level. Preliminary findings suggest that there are wide regional differences in terms of agricultural performance and organizational forms. Also, we find that productivity levels do not differ significantly between farming arrangements, and that labor supply, capital endowment, and contractual arrangements might be more important.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/64427/1/wp905.pd

From Workers to Owners: Survey Evidence on the Impact of Property Rights Reforms on Small Farmers in Two Regions in Romania

In Romania, the 1991 Land Reform marked the beginning of a series of transformations in the ownership structure and the production system in agriculture. Nevertheless, after recently joining the EU it became evident that the agricultural sector is in need of major improvements in performance. We present preliminary findings from a unique village-level panel data at household level. Preliminary findings suggest that there are wide regional differences in terms of agricultural performance and organizational forms. Also, we find that productivity levels do not differ significantly between farming arrangements, and that labor supply, capital endowment, and contractual arrangements might be more important.transition, land reform, property rights, productivity, Romania.

Challenges and opportunities for capturing local benefits

In Morocco, the potential for solar and wind energy generation is enormous and could be exploited for addressing not only energy security concerns, but also pressing social and economic needs. Smart policy design that integrates different policy objectives can have long-lasting effects, stimulating competitiveness across the economy

Achieving inclusive competitiveness in the emerging solar energy sector in Morocco

Syftet med studien har varit att utvärdera den nya arbetsmodellen "Öppen tidbok" vid Lycksele BUP - utifrån barnens och deras föräldrars perspektiv. Arbetsmodellen som innefattar erbjudande om tid när familjen själv önskar samt upp till fem besök i ett första skede startades 070815. Studien har genomförts i form av en enkätundersökning som inbegriper alla familjer och behandlare vid det femte alternativt avslutande besöket under november och december 2007. Nio flickor och två pojkar i åldrarna 9 - 17 år har deltagit i studien tillsammans med elva mammor och sex pappor. Bortfallet utgörs av två familjer. De sex behandlare som varit verksamma i "Öppen tidbok" har besvarat frågor angående antal besök, metoder och förhållningssätt, diagnos samt skattat förändring utifrån C-GAS (Children´s Global Assessment Scale) vid start och avslut.   Studien visar att barnen och deras föräldrar är mycket nöjda med att få ett tidigt bemötande då de bl a har upplevt att de fått hjälp när de behövt det och att problemen därmed varat under kortare tid än om de hade tvingats vänta upp till tre månader eller mer. De är även i hög grad nöjda med att erbjudas upp till fem besök i ett första skede, där det vid behov har funnits möjlighet till fortsatt kontakt med samma behandlare. Antal besök har varierat från 1 - 9. Medelvärdet är 4,2 besök per familj för de avslutade familjerna och 4,5 räknat på hela materialet. För cirka hälften av familjerna har en korttidsinsats varit tillräcklig. Föräldrarna hade en positiv inställning till att söka BUP-kontakt medan barnen var mer tveksamma. Både barn och föräldrar anser dock att samtalen på BUP varit till nytta. Alla deltagare uppger att problemen minskat och en del menar att problemen försvunnit. I de åtta fall där behandlare skattat C-GAS vid start och avslut kan en statistiskt signifikant förbättring noteras. Både barn och föräldrar anser att man samtalat om det som känts viktigt för dem och att de i stor utsträckning kunnat säga vad de tänkt och känt vid träffarna. Endast ett fåtal har uttryckt upplevda nackdelar med modellen.   Studien visar att arbetsmodellen har fungerat bra för både barn och föräldrar och tycks ha genererat fokusering och engagemang från både barn, föräldrar och terapeuter.  

Institutional arrangements and land reallocation during transition : a regional analysis of small farms in Romania

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2008.Includes bibliographical references (p. 299-309).My dissertation examines an unexpected outcome of post-socialist agricultural transformation in the Central and Eastern European countries. Contrary to the initial expectations of Neoliberal transition policy-makers, various forms of agricultural associations emerged throughout the former communist countries, following the distribution of private property rights to individuals. The reallocation of land in associations occurred while this institutional arrangement was criticized in the literature and individual farming was portrayed as the panacea for these countries. The main research question that frames my dissertation is: Why do farmers still persist in joining associations despite perceived collective action problems and the availability of leasing as a close substitute? Additional questions are also examined: Why did associations emerge in some regions and not in others? What are the factors that affect landowners' choices between associations and leasing transactions? How different, or similar are associations from the old socialist collective farms? While earlier literature focused on explaining why landowners choose to farm the land individually, the choice between associations and leasing has not been previously researched. Using statistical analysis on household surveys and qualitative fieldwork I explain why and under what conditions associations are the optimal farming alternatives for landowners. Going beyond the capital constraints argument, I examine the role of institutional legacies and the effect of collectivization in explaining regional differences in land reallocation during transition.(cont.) Based on my findings, theories of institutional change that view transition as a homogeneous and atemporal process across and within countries do not fully capture the interdependencies between different factors that shape individuals' responses to the incentives and constraints imposed by transition. This research provides policy recommendations especially for land consolidation efforts. Given high transaction costs associated with participating in land markets, farming associations should be strongly emphasized as a channel for achieving land consolidation. Support measures, such as improved access to credit and marketing channels, can enhance the competitiveness of associations.by Georgeta Vidican Sgouridis.Ph.D

Land reform and economic development : case study on Romania

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2004.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 84-87).Few social arrangements have affected so many people for so long in human history, as the laws and customs governing the ownership and use of land. Taking Romania as a case study, this thesis focuses on the institutional changes that accompany land reform (e.g., property rights, market services, rural financial services) and the role the state plays in the implementation process. The main hypothesis is that in developing countries, unsatisfactory forms of agrarian structure, and in particular the systems of land tenure, tend in a variety of ways to impede economic development. The results of this study illustrate that in Romania improper implementation of land reform had negative effects on development - further deterioration in the standard of living for the rural population, decline in real productivity, and lower production. Hence, one main conclusion is that the distribution of property rights in land is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for creating the basis for development. Redistribution of property rights in land has to be complemented with technical advice and more integrated cross-sector policies such as easy access to credit and agricultural inputs, production and social infrastructure. State involvement is crucial for supporting these services.by Georgeta Vidican.M.C.P

Measuring Innovation Using Bibliometric Techniques: The Case of Solar Photovoltaic Industry

Paper submitted to the Advancing the Study of Innovation and Globalization in Organizations (ASIGO) Conference in Nurnberg, Germany, May 29-30, 2009In this paper, we use feature extraction and data analysis techniques for the elucidation of patterns and trends in technological innovation. In studying innovation, we focus on the role of public research institutions (research universities and national laboratories) in the development of new industries. More specifically, we are interested in measuring innovation through research collaborations between these institutions and the private sector. The proposed methods are primarily drawn from the field of bibliometrics – i.e. the analysis of information and trends in the publication of text documents, rather than the contents of these documents. In particular, we seek to explore the relationship between joint publication patterns and trends, R&D funding, technology development choices, and the viability and effectiveness of industry-university collaborations. To focus the discussions and to provide concrete examples of their applicability, this study will have an initial emphasis on the solar photovoltaic (PV) sector in the U.S., though the techniques and general approach devised here will be applicable to a broad range of industries, situations, and locations. Our analysis suggests that interesting information and conclusions can be derived from this line of analysis. The results obtained using our data extraction techniques allow us to identify early technology focus in different areas within solar PV technologies, and to determine potential technology pathways, which is critical for innovation policy in the renewable energy domain

Managing Transformation under Uncertainty

The paper in a nutshell: In this paper, we present the normative concept of green industrial policy, which we define as encompassing any policy measure aimed at aligning the structure of a country’s economy with the needs of sustainable development within established planetary boundaries. We elaborate on why we need green industrial policy, how it differs from conventional industrial policy, why it is faced with significantly bigger challenges, and how these can be met. What and how we produce and consume is largely shaped by markets. However, markets fail to solve many of the environmental challenges we are facing. Therefore, we need governments to intervene, thus reclaiming the primacy of public policy in setting and implementing societal objectives. While safeguarding the sustainability of human life on our planet makes green industrial policy a highly normative undertaking, the economic case for green industrial policy is strong as well – the success stories of such ‘green’ frontrunners as Germany and Denmark demonstrate the competitiveness potential of the new technologies. However, as shown by decades of discussion on industrial policy, government intervention almost invariably brings about risks of political capture and government failure. Green industrial policy is thus not only governed by ethical norms, but also by politics. The risks of failure are magnified by the urgency and scale of today’s global environmental challenges, requiring particularly bold, comprehensive and well-orchestrated government intervention under high uncertainty. By highlighting lessons learned from practical cases of both success and failure, we show how these risks can be, and have been, managed. In particular, we submit that a broad- based social vision and contract need to be forged – supported by change coalitions and coupled with policy process safeguards, openness to policy learning, and an alignment of green industrial policies with market mechanisms